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Wednesday, October 12, 2011

GT5 Spec 2.0 Overview and Review

John B. Marine | 7:24 PM | | |
The Spec 2.0 update for Gran Turismo 5 offers up various tweaks and fixes to GT5. It is the evolution of GT5 with a new package designed to make the game more accessible and more fun. Details on Spec 2.0 and my thoughts on it will be discussed in this blog post. For all intents and purposes, this post is basically a look at the different tweaks to GT5 followed by some commentary of mine. Welcome to JGTS (John's Gran Turismo Space) and another blog post of mine!






--- Major Changes and New Features ---

I will use an old image just to help identify this post regarding the new Spec 2.0 update. I'm sorry I couldn't feature a recent picture to actually highlight on the new changes.

GT5 Spec 2.0 Update
^ The Spec 2.0 update for Gran Turismo 5 includes various tweaks and edits. All of which, you will read about in this blog post, including my comments on some of the various edits.


This is NOT a full report. This is just a basic synopsis of what the new changes feature. You can read more on many of the talking points by reading the Update Notice (2.00) from the Gran Turismo News menu when you log into GT5:

[Major Changes and New Features]

• Standard Cars now given simplified cockpit views
• New Opening Movie
• Addition of the weather change menu
• multiple car settings/save feature
• added 11 NASCAR cars
• Nissan GT-R N24 Schulze Motor Sports
• Avatar now available in Photo Travel
• Replay Fast Forward/Rewind
• Improved Online Lounge
• Additional features to Remote Racing
• New Photo Stage Added
• Addition of the Consecutive Login Bonus
• DLC (Downloadable Content) Compatibility
• Official Support for the G25/G27 Racing Wheels

[Other Improvements]

• User interface improvement
• Quick Menu accessed while race is loading
• It is now possible to save and resume endurance races.
• Two NASCAR cars selectable in Arcade Mode have been changed from the 2010 models to 2011 models.
• In the Arcade Settings of [Options], AI Car Characteristics settings have been added. You can now change the aggressiveness of the AI against you in Arcade Races.
• Some effects of Traction Control have been adjusted. When the TCS is set to 1, it will not come into effect as much especially in tight corners on dirt tracks.
• Surface Water and Tire Load Indicator displays have been added to the race screen. The Tire Load indicator can be set from the Quick Options menu that is displayed during the race (when the game is paused using the START button), or the standard Options menu.
• The option to Create Thumbnails for AI cars has been added to the context of the Garage. This will update the thumbnails of all cars in the garage.
• Experience gained in online races has been increased by 60% and rewards have been increased by 66%.
• You can now change the Slipstream Strength settings in the lounge.
• In the Lounge and in [Option] - [General] - [Arcade], it is now possible to turn Visible Damage ON or OFF.
• Drivetrain settings has been added to the regulation settings in the Lounge.
• A setting to prohibit "Tuning" of cars has been added to the regulations settings in the Lounge.
Adjusted the driving speed of formula cars in banks, and auto-drive when coming onto straights.
• Added a button to [Reset Playlist to Original Settings] under the settings menus of [Menu BGM], [Race BGM], and [Slideshow BGM].
• A new brand "AMG" has been added to the MUSEUM.

[Correction of Known Issues]

• Corrected an issue where the "Torque Steering Center Differential" installed on a Lancer Evolution X was not functioning.
• Fixed an issue where you could participate in the Intermediate/Tarmac Rally of the Gran Turismo Rally in a Ferrari F1 by using the power limiter.
• Fixed an issue where the Controller Steering Sensitivity was not applied correctly.
• Fixed an issue where there was a server connection problem in certain network environments.
• Fixed an issue where auto-drive would make braking mistakes.
• Fixed an issue where the system would misjudge whether deceleration happens in time when making pit stops in the rain.



--- Thoughts on GT5 Spec 2.0 ---

Here are piece-by-piece comments on each aspect of the Spec 2.0 update. My comments (if any) are in BOLD letters. Everything was posted as of the initial date of this blog post:


The New Intro.

First things first... THANK GOD the opening song isn't that song from My Chemical Romance. This newer intro is much more interesting and much more fun than the previous one. I still think "Moon Over the Castle" should be the theme for Gran Turismo for all regions. Don't just change up the opening song just so "fanboys" and "fangirls" don't start getting bitchy just because certain groups/artists aren't featured.

You need to download the Spec 2.0 intro to your PS3 to be able to view it. It is about a 590 MB download.


Ideas on the Main Updates.

• Standard Cars now given simplified cockpit views
Better than no interior views to me. I actually don't mind the blacked-out interior views of most Standard cars.

• New Opening Movie
(See "The New Intro.")

• Addition of the weather change menu
This makes racing on Time Change and Weather Change tracks more accessible. I actually raced Circuit de la Sarthe 2009 under night conditions and enjoyed it! Best of all, I didn't have to play the track for an extended period of time just to play under certain conditions.

• multiple car settings/save feature

• added 11 NASCAR cars
The 2010 NASCAR Cup cars are all there, but they are now joined by 2011 models. Still no Dodge NASCAR Cup cars, sadly. :(

• Nissan GT-R N24 Schulze Motor Sports

• Avatar now available in Photo Travel

• Replay Fast Forward/Rewind
This is a MUCH welcome deal.

• Improved Online Lounge

• Additional features to Remote Racing

• New Photo Stage Added

• Addition of the Consecutive Login Bonus
Basically put, you get some perks for consecutive logins. Playing the game on one day will net you five Museum cards, five paint items, and a 120%(?) increase in earnings and experience for that day. The maximum you can receive is when you log in consecutively for five days. If you log in consecutively for five or more days, you will earn ten Museum cards, ten paint items, and experience/earnings will be boosted to 200%. This will allow you to earn Credits and experience at a quicker rate. So keep logging into GT5 in consecutive days to boost your earnings and experience! Of course... miss a day, and you'll probably go back down the login bonus ladder.

I actually like this. Makes you want to play the game for longer just to get the extra bonuses. That's even if you don't need extra Museum cards.


• DLC (Downloadable Content) Compatibility
Downloadable content for GT5 will supposedly be available starting October 18, 2011. So be ready to download and buy from PlayStation Store when downloadable content becomes available.

To get you excited, some of the DLC for GT5 includes (but is not limited to): Spa-Francorchamps, a special and colorful kart racing track, and more race-tuned cars (all Premium).


• Official Support for the G25/G27 Racing Wheels
(I don't own either of these, so I will not comment.)


[Other Improvements]

(comments in BOLD, if I have any comments for each bullet point)

• User interface improvement
• Quick Menu accessed while race is loading
As a word of advice, you will be ready to go when you hear car engines. Tracks load a bit quicker with the Spec 2.0 changes.

• It is now possible to save and resume endurance races.
This is much welcome news for most Gran Turismo fans. I have yet to participate in an endurance in GT5, so I will comment no further about this.

(no further comments on anything in this section)


[Correction of Known Issues]

(no comments on anything in this section)


In Conclusion...

In conclusion, the Spec 2.0 updates help make Gran Turismo 5 just that extra bit better. The various changes made were good enough to make the game just an extra bit more playable and accessible. I also noted how the game loads a little bit faster compared to before the Spec 2 update.





So make sure to download the changes and let me know what you think about the Spec 2.0 updates. Thank you for reading!

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